LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE & A GIVEAWAY!

Happy Weekend!  I've been trying and trying to sit down and write but it escapes me.  I'm still having these pesky old (and I mean old age) medical problems and I feel I'm coming and going to and from clinics to the point where its just routine.  Milo and Layla think I have a job, they barely glance up from their favorite chairs when I slide into my flip flops and race out the door every afternoon.  Same routine, light therapy Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and physical therapy Tuesday and Thursday.  Lots of bumps in the road with that but let's start off the post positively.  ;-D

With all the rain we've had the grass is brilliant green and my hedges have had to be trimmed twice in the past 6 weeks.  But we've also had many super hot days in the high 80's and 90's and it's miserable to step outside sometimes.  With fluctuating temps there has been a lot of severe weather.  A few weeks ago several tornado's touched down west of us.  Three nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night for a drink of water and as I looked out the kitchen window the rain was pounding the streets and the trees were blowing like crazy.  At the same time there was thunder and  lightening was flashing every few seconds.  I hadn't heard it over the air conditioning and standing fan (in spite of scary winds we still love to sleep in a hurricane environment). Always ready for a catastrophe, I gathered my candles, matches and flashlight.  We were good but I did lose a good 2 hours of sleep.  I know many of you are dealing with Mother Nature's fury.  Be ready.  Hold tight.  Wake your hubby every 5 minutes after those alerts on your eighteen weather apps.  I do that.

From the little I know about ornamental grass, I'm thinking this is ornamental grass.  I think a special little bird dropped seeds in my Woodland Garden.  I think it looks like wheat with a pinkish tinge.  I think it needs a name.  It's a little random among the lilies and columbine.  I'd love to get more to create some bigger clumps.  I think I need help.  Please?

Love these Asiatic lilies.  I used to grow them and once my yard became shadier it didn't work out.  They make for a pretty arrangement indoors but I have to say the smell a bit too strong for me.  I recently spread a store bought bouquet amongst three vases the kitchen, dining area and living room.  Everyone wanted to know what the odor was (odor~~not scent).  I do have some yellow, red and pink lilies popping up so soon I can cut a few of those and not insult any visitors.  Gee, maybe Yankee Candles can try to copy this scent with something called Afternoon Funeral.

So we go back and forth outdoors, me and the hounds, pulling a few weeds in the cool morning when the grass is still damp and the humidity hasn't settled in.  In the late afternoon I sit on the patio with my latest book and they lay in the grass with their ears and noses twitching.  With the weather being so wonky we've had very few al fresco meals.  I did have Emily and Mike over for dinner last week and it it just happened to be a PERFECT night.  I set up the candles and napkins and glasses ahead of time and once we filled our plates we headed out.  It was gorgeous.  I wish I had my head on a little straighter and thought to invite the kids over more for dinner or even a Sunday brunch.  As it is now, summer keeps us spread out even further.  I spoiled Emily and Mike with sautéed sea scallops, prosciutto wrapped asparagus bundles, and wild rice with peas and carrots.  Sounds fancy but truly very easy and quick.  And anything and everything tastes perfect outside as the sun sets.

We have to grab these moments when we can, and frankly, as I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, I've started to care less and less about fluffing the house, rotating things around from spring to summer and organizing way too many objects on my counters.  Now let me say, I will never lose my love for nesting and creating a a home where family and friends are welcome and comfortable.  I have enough cr*p in my arsenal downstairs to change up shelves and tables and mantels for years to come.  But I run short of time (and steam).  There will be time, a better time when I'm not running around like a whirling dervish and I'll fiddle and fuss, but for now, this new mantelscape is brought to you by a harried woman hobbling downstairs to do some laundry and finding she can balance a few summery pieces on the pile of warm towels.  Voila!

May I mention that the Hallmark Movie Channel is featuring movies under the theme of 'Christmas in July'.  Oh, yeah.  I'm eating it up.  As much as I love those movies in November and December, I'm spread pretty thin then so it's great to catch a few I missed.  :D

That cute little Elsie is with us every Thursday night and we love having her.  She is really infatuated with Grandfather (The Husband).  I wonder about that...is it that he looks like Kevin?  His voice?  Maybe he's just more charming than me...gulp.  Our time flies.  Since we both love to be outside we play in the backyard for a bit and then she wears me out walking around the block...more than once.  Of course she's on her little push contraption a lot (see how lame I am with the new generation of baby things?!!).  Some nights we have not so great weather and we do what we can in the house.  I've often said we live in a Mrs. Piggle Wiggle house.  Rather than it being upside down it just twists and turns with a series of halls and rooms off each one.  Elsie is very intrigued by this.  She also gets distracted by our pet vulture...er, parrot.  She understands she can't go near the cage, Nina is a biter.  Elsie still loves when she chirps,  tries to make conversation and flaps her wings like a show off.  We keep the creature tucked away in the guest room and can close the door.  We keep a lot of the doors closed as you wind through Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's house and Elsie is that age where when she wants something she lets us know!  Bang, bang, bang on the doors!  I had so many kids close in age that they all kept each other amused.  This is new and so much fun.  

I'm off now.  We are getting up early to take a drive up to the lake.  We are just a few weeks off from completion.  Floors in, new appliances in, my kitchen shiplap ceiling is up.  We have a new staircase with wrought iron spindles.  I understand we are just waiting for some details like light fixtures, trim, and paint.  

Our Summerhouse (guest house) has been closed up since the fall of 2014 (the damage occurred in March, 2015).  I'm bringing a bucket and cleaning supplies and opening up all the windows and cleaning the heck out of that place.  It was my sanctuary.  It's the most I can do right now.  The Husband wants to trim, fertilize and water the boxwood hedges, those are his babies.  I'll do my best to weed the garden beds.  With my whacko back I doubt we will be able to move out any of the patio furniture.  I don't even know if the marina delivered our boat in the spring.  It's just been a chaotic juggling game.  Such a balancing game of so much happening in our lives.

I am having a giveaway.  If you think about the last two I've had it's usually because I've ended up with two of something or something I just didn't need and someone would benefit from.  Vicki from Life In My Empty Nest recommended this book and its prequel Lunch in Paris.  Somehow I received two of this one and strangely, this copy came from Germany with no info on how to return it!  So it's up for grabs.  I suggest you read the reviews here at Amazon and decide if its your cup of tea.  I love a memoir, France and recipes in a book.  These books have me fascinated and I'm switching back and forth between the two.  Thanks, Vicki.  The giveaway is only open until my next post.  Just leave a comment that you are in.  I have a much needed trip to the post office and if you can imagine the posts offices in a huge city...well, you avoid them!!

Happy Weekend!

Jane x

***Oh!  One final thing...I am so, so tired I am not re-reading this for grammatical errors.  Please have mercy! :-D

Tahnsk, Jnea!